Spain’s autonomous region of Catalonia has made face masks mandatory in public for all those aged over five after a surge in new cases of coronavirus.
Anyone caught without a mask – even when social distancing can be observed – faces a €100 ($113; £90) fine.
It comes amid an outbreak of the virus in Segrià, an agricultural area.
Officials already imposed a lockdown on 210,000 residents on Saturday, banning anyone from entering or leaving except for work.
While the national situation is largely under control, Spain has been hit hard by the virus. As of Wednesday the health ministry said the country had recorded 252,513 cases and 28,396 deaths. Spain’s northwestern region of Galicia imposed a local lockdown around the coastal district of A Mariña following a fresh outbreak earlier this month.
And in June the region of Aragon, which borders Catalonia, re-imposed restrictions on several areas after an outbreak among fruit pickers in its Huesca province.
“The general rule is that everyone will leave their house with their face mask on, whether they are going to the beach or to the office,” Catalan health chief Alba Vergés told reporters on Wednesday.
Exceptions will be made, such as when a mask is “not compatible” with an activity like exercise but as a whole those older than five must always wear a face covering outside their home, she said.
This is the worst localised outbreak in Spain, with more than 500 confirmed cases. In the first week of July, there were reportedly 175 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Hospitals are calling for specialists to help them treat the rising numbers of infected. Authorities said half the people currently being admitted to intensive care near Lleida were under 40 years old.
Source: BBC
Global site 
Finnish site